[Bristol, Stokes Croft] Nadu

I had meant to do a general writeup on our week in Bristol in July, but while we ate all right, there wasn’t much that was exceptional. Jay Rayner, the Guardian’s long-time food critic, has said that Bristol is his favourite food city in the UK outside London, but I don’t eat the way he does.

I did want to mention Nadu, in Stokes Croft, across the street from Elevator Sound, the synth shop that was the main draw of Bristol for me (partner had a work meeting there). Nadu serves Sri Lankan and Tamil food. It is brightly decorated, with sort of a party vibe, not nearly as leaden or awkward as many South Asian places. The food was good, but I am posting mainly because it is visually striking. On the menu is a “tear and share dosa”, which is meant as an appetizer for the table. There were only two of us, but we ordered one, along with a black pork dish and some rice for that. The dosa cost £12, which is what I paid for one up in Easton, where we were staying, earlier in the week. This is what arrived.

This is easily twice as long as a typical “presentation” dosa, meaning four times the surface area. What is really impressive is that it was cooked really well, just the right balance of crunch and soft, and pretty uniform over that large area. The portion of masala potato was also scaled up, not too mushy, not too dry, well-spiced. I can’t imagine what it is like to cook one that large (I struggle with something around 25cm!). I made sure to go back to the kitchen window and give the chefs two big thumbs up. The chutneys were also good, and the sambar balanced spiciness, tartness, and consistency. The black pork dish did not photograph well at all in the subdued light, but it was also quite tasty; we took the leftovers home and I enjoyed them for lunch the next day.

Recommended if you happen to find yourself in town.

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Was it Pandi curry / Coorg - Kodava pork?

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I think it is definitely related but probably there are some small differences. You are really exposing my ignorance. My father grew up in Chennai but with Konkani as his mother tongue (and associated culture, including food) and was a vegetarian when he left India, so I don’t have a proper understanding of even mainstream Tamil cooking. My guess is that Nadu’s dish is kalu uru-mas, but it shares the use of kachampuli, and a roasted curry powder.

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That looks and sounds wonderful!

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Now that is a dosa!

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Hardly ignorance it’s such a vast culinary landscape even state by state, there’s always going to be so much that’s still new to everyone else.

Pandi curry has been having a bit of a moment in the spotlight the over last few years as some fine dining chefs in India explore less-mass consumed proteins like pork, but I’ve seen similar dishes (especially adivasi / tribal) from neighboring states. (Coorg is in Karnataka.)

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